The Banner, 2022 Fall

THE BANNER

Celebrating 40 years of the British School, 40 years of IBDP & the 110th anniversary of SFS

Seoul Foreign School Magazine, Fall 2022

Finding Your Tribe When a school is not just a school.

Beyond Belonging Interview with Fred Underwood '72.

Portraits of a Community What's in a name? The many faces of the SFS Community.

Our Heroes Don’t Wear Capes, They Wear Scrubs An unlikely bonding moment between two members of our community.

Bringing Back Community: Reflections from SFS British School SFS British School reflects on making up for lost time.

From the Head of School

Dear SFS Community,

As I write these words, I cannot help but feel immense gratitude to be part of a community that so graciously supports one another in the face of adversity. Our solidarity makes long-anticipated moments like concerts, tournaments, and drama performances, feel all the more special. When the Itaewon tragedy hit, we once again came together to check on one another, to grieve together, and to honor our beloved city and host country. We were also reminded of the fragility of life and so held our children a little tighter.

Despite the challenges, I also feel a great deal of hope and joy for the future of Seoul Foreign School. You might recall me writing in the previous issue about “The Way Forward”, our process for growth and improvement into the foreseeable future. I am proud to say that “The Way Forward” ploughs ahead and our good work is well underway.

This issue of The Banner is special because it highlights how Seoul Foreign School is bringing back the community and how teachers are using feedback to support student progression. Stories like Our Heroes don’t wear capes, they wear scrubs and The Power of Feedback serve to underscore Seoul Foreign School’s commitment to community and to lifelong learning while our Alumni stories remind readers that SFS’s legacy lives on long after commencement.

I hope you enjoy this glimpse into our school’s life. I offer my thanks to everyone who contributed to this issue, the parents and alumni who volunteered their time for interviews and the faculty who shared their stories. SFS could not be a Christian school for everyone without your support. I do not take this for granted and appreciate it now more than ever.

Together, we are stronger.

THE BANNER

Seoul Foreign School Magazine, Fall 2022

Team

Published by: Seoul Foreign School External Relations Team

Editor-in-chief: Cyrielle Bazin Design and Photography: Juhie Suh

Collaborators: Yoojin Um, Eric De Haan, Pauline Kim, Julia Church, Andrew Freeman, John Kett, Caroline Law, Jia Dunsby, John Striffler, Jean Kim, Paul Kim, Grace Miller, Paul Rader, Justin Smith, Piotr Kocyk, Michelle Kim, Nicole Cook, Katy Freeman

Additional Photography: Lauren Song, Yoo Ho Yoo, Yeonwoo Lee, Peri Freeman, Seongho Lee, Jack Jin, Aidan Song, Isaac Kang, Philip Lee, Eileen Kim, Irene Cho, Ethan Yi, Kiram Kyeong, Samuel Forbes, Joseph Park

Address

Seoul Foreign School 39 Yeonhui-ro 22-gil, Yeonhui-dong Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, South Korea, 03723 www.seoulforeign.org

Unless otherwise noted, articles may be reprinted without permission - as long as they are not edited or revised - with appropriate credit given to “The Banner, the magazine for Seoul Foreign School.”

*All efforts have been made to check details and consistency. Please contact communications@ seoulforeign.org with any questions.

Cover: Our Elementary School community celebrated Korea’s rich heritage and culture this week during the annual Korea Days.

God

bless, Colm Flanagan Head of School

“For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.”

- Romans 12:4-5

A collaborative mural created by PreK-4 students to decorate the COVID screening room to help the broader student and parent community.

From the Board Chair

Dear SFS Community,

The academic year 2022-2023 started full of expectations for our community. The Korean authorities lifted COVID testing and restrictions on most in-person events, and the school began to feel alive. As we approached the fall break, the heartbreaking tragedy in Itaewon reminded us of the fragility of human beings: we suffer in isolation, and we can suffer when we are finally all together. This tragedy did not directly touch us, but we felt it very closely as the victims were young adults and resembled our community. Our thoughts and prayers go to the families impacted by the tragedy, and we have committed to help anyone in need in the following weeks.

I wanted to use this space in the Banner to help our community understand the uniqueness of governance at Seoul Foreign School. We are a genuinely independent not-for-profit organization in Seoul. A governing body for Seoul Foreign School has existed since early 1920s. It has remained independent in its governance and has ensured that every amount spent by parents goes only to benefit their children's education. Governance at SFS is comprised mainly of parents of current students or alums. Some of our members are themselves alums that give their time to help the administration fulfill our mission statement, which is to deliver an exceptional education that reverberates with a Christian ethos that instills respect, humbleness and acceptance of everyone.

Please find more information on our website (scan the QR code). We always look for volunteers and will advertise for available positions in January.

Sincerely, Dr. Silvia Ratto Kim Chair of the Board of Governors

FINDING YOUR TRIBE

By Cyrielle Bazin Director of Communications & Marketing

Grade 5 students enjoying each other's company.

No one understands the need to belong quite like international families. Living abroad means giving up your support system, cultural code and the comfort of familiarity. It also means jumping into the unknown.

As the threat of pandemic lockdown fades and the world gradually transitions towards a “with-COVID'' orientation, our focus is now, more than ever, on student well-being. While it is difficult to truly comprehend the lasting impact of the past couple of years on well-being, especially with respect to the younger generations, it is universally understood that we crave real human interactions now more than ever before. We all learned the hard way how much we took each other for granted and how reliant we were on others for our happiness. The nexus for these feelings can be defined by a single word: community. As Aristotle said, “Man is a social animal”. In fact, research in the field of social psychology suggests that this desire for connection and community is hardwired into the human brain. Rather than a desire, belongingness is indeed a fundamental human need [1].

No one understands that need to belong quite like international families. Living abroad means giving up your support system, cultural code and the comfort of familiarity. It also means jumping into the unknown. As such, schools are often seen by families as anchoring points. During relocation, families usually decide on their children’s school before even choosing a neighborhood to live in - not the other way around. International schools offer familiar routines that give new families a chance to rest during their first weeks and months of learning a new city, language, and culture. For returning families, the school provides

a sense of familiarity and comfort that we all strive towards.

A community like SFS makes us feel like we’re part of something greater than ourselves. A community unites us with culture, causes, and goals that help shape our day-to-day lives. The value of community building can never be overemphasized, especially when people come together to achieve a shared goal. Recently, 200 SFS community members participated in a charity run for the Oak Tree Project, an organization that provides scholarship and mentoring programs for orphans in Korea. In addition to the fact that Team SFS raised close to KRW 9,000,000 for the cause, it was the connection between the SFS runners, including parents, students and staff, that made the moment truly special. The sense of camaraderie and love for one another was undeniable. Love, together with notions like service, acceptance and compassion, are pillars of the SFS Christ-like attitudes that shape our school. And none of those pillars stand without our community.

Catching up recently with an alumnus, “community” was one of the first things that he mentioned, more than twenty years after graduating. How he is still friends with those that he calls “his people”. Maya Angelou said it succintly, “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” Twenty years down the road, we might not remember what we learned in Physics class nor even the name of the parents we ran concessions

with, but we will always remember that we felt like we belonged at SFS. The act of finding your tribe can take many different forms, whether it's a sport, a choir, or a common interest for Pokemon. Your tribe might be fellow Drama Mamas, with whom you share many highs and lows with to make a High School musical happen. You might have many tribes, or your tribe might consist of a handful of carefully selected friends. Whichever it is, you are always part of something bigger than yourself: the SFS community. The significance of community at SFS has a meaning far beyond attending the school. It ties in with the school’s mission, emphasis on well-being, and holistic approach to education.

While we endeavored to provide our children with the best education possible amidst the sudden closures, hybrid models, online swimming classes, and endless testing, there is one thing we couldn’t sufficiently provide: being together. For a student, it means being unable to join your group of friends as you exit the school bus, join in an impromptu soccer game on the field, or laugh with your teachers. For a parent, it means no meet-ups by the Crave café after dropping the kids off or chatting at pick-up time. For faculty, it means talking to a screen in lieu of feeding off the energy of engaged (albeit sometimes sleepy) students.

While we cannot change the past, we can certainly reflect on it as we move into the future. We all have learned to adapt to these unprecedented times, and while navigating these uncharted waters, all wondered the same thing: what happens next? At SFS,

we started the “what happens next?” conversation fairly early on because we knew that picking up where we left off wasn’t going to cut it. The world and our community was changing before our eyes. We had to adapt. After all, throughout 110 years of existence, SFS had gone through so many historical events. The pandemic was another one of these defining moments that we had to learn from and overcome.

As we started crafting what became “The Way Forward”, the most pressing topic everyone agreed upon was the necessity to “bring back community”. The fragmenting of our community during the pandemic significantly impacted the school’s sense of community. It was crucial to reconnect with all in our community and to recreate authentic connections between children, teachers, and parents. As an international school, SFS has a special role to play in the lives of community members. It bears the weight of a great responsibility: making sure that we provide an environment that supports the academic, social, and emotional well-being of everyone. A place where you belong. 19 12

References:

[1] Baumeister, R. F., & Leary, M. R. (1995). The need to belong: Desire for interpersonal attachments as a fundamental human motivation. Psychological Bulletin, 125(6), 627.

Grade 5 students playing in a big free-to-join group during lunch recess.

BEYOND BELONGING

A Conversation with Fred Underwood, Class of 1972

We had the privilege of interviewing alumnus Fred Underwood '72. An SFS legacy, Fred reflects on growing up a Third Culture Kid and how it shaped his entire career.

Senior photo of Fred Underwood, 1972.

Fred Underwood, 2022.

Before Seoul Foreign School had its infamous hill (with the even more infamous morning bumper-to-bumper traffic uphill) and a sprawling, beautiful campus with an elementary school, middle school, high school and British school, the Yeonhui-dong neighborhood had humble beginnings, with the school being surrounded by rice fields. In part due to Yonsei University, a small group of foreigners in the area formed a community that also later grew into what became the students, families and faculty who made up the SFS community. It was a small, tight-knit group where, according to Fred, “if you did something, you were pretty much found out.”

Fred Underwood grew up at Seoul Foreign School in the 1960s and 70s, attending from kindergarten to high school (except for third grade and junior year). Because of this, he experienced the overlap of the school community and his own church community on a deeper level. During school breaks, his family would spend their time at Daecheon Beach on the western coast of Korea in Boryeong, Chungcheongnam-do Province, where some teachers and other families also spent their summers.

“[This] one group that went to Seoul Foreign School went to Seoul Union Church, so we would see each other all the time. And that community and the Seoul Foreign School community from my era overlaps enough that we [built] on each other… [The] parents of some of our friends, or sometimes [our] teachers would be involved with teaching you how to swim, or how to identify the stars, or what the shells were… And it was just a great affirmation of the same community that you are [a] part of here. And because it was connected a lot by missionaries, it helps you see that, Seoul Foreign School is part of what connects us.”

And while there were many times he felt affirmed that he was

a part of the SFS community, one of the major challenges that he faced was having a confident sense of identity and belonging beyond the campus walls, which he saw other alumni come after him also struggle with during their times of reflection at various school reunions over the years.

“I think [not being] in your home culture, or even if you are in your home culture, you've been elsewhere enough that finding that home is difficult. So [communities like] SFS become a way of building your identity. Seeing that that same sense of identity being formed in the school was very similar [for other alumni].”

This sense of identity and belonging was bound by the one common factor every student or faculty member had—that everyone had, the Seoul Foreign School experience which came with all the nuances of cultural integration and racial differences due to its unique nature as an international school in Korea. And it also came with some instability—because people were always coming in and out of the community, moving from one country to another, it was difficult to stay connected.

But he also attributed this transiency and diversity he was so used to seeing as later being one of the things that equipped him the most in his career, and his ability to build relationships wherever he went. Growing up within a community full of people from all different backgrounds, religions and cultures later turned out to be one of his greatest strengths. He naturally took cues from his Third Culture Kid experience, which seamlessly transitioned him to work in a field that was shifting to be more inclusive, especially as it pertained to a diversity of racial, social or ethnic backgrounds.

“Throughout my career, working with different populations

Fred with the long-lasting jungle gym in the playground which seems to be the only thing remaining from his time at SFS.

High School students on the jungle gym in 1972.

For Fred, his background and community helped shape the lens with which he saw the world, one that was beyond just simply belonging somewhere, but one that was challenging and inspiring.

and being able to… It’s that sort of feeling you get as a Third Culture [Kid] that well, I’m not really part of it, but I want to listen and take my cues and try to understand and see where I can fit in.”

Fred worked in real estate, but specifically in diversity and inclusion, also called equity work—making sure that the industry was including a more diverse group of people to “better reflect the consumers it was serving.” It was after getting his Masters in Urban Planning and Policy from the University of Illinois at Chicago that Fred settled in the city of Chicago, Illinois, a very dynamic and “ethnically identifiable” city. Real estate in the U.S. was known to be highly segregated, and there were many grassroots community activities going on in Chicago at the time, where “the dynamics of race and racial change” was showing its effects in the political sphere.

Early on, Fred noticed that most of the professional real estate community was 95-96% white, during the early 1990s, when the U.S. population was around 70% white, and he started engaging largely with the African American communities in these grassroots movements. He served on the National Association of Realtors in the United States as the Director of Engagement, Diversity and Inclusion from 1990-2021, in both Chicago and in Washington, DC, “bringing people into the decision-making and leadership of the association,” and has extensive experience helping to form identity based groups, including Asian American and LGBTQ+ professionals. Prior to that role, Fred worked as an Equal Opportunity Specialist at the Chicago Regional Office for the Department of Housing and Urban Development, also coordinating the Fair Housing Program for the City of Evanston, Illinois.

The experience of community that Fred had at Seoul Foreign School was one that carried into his livelihood—one that championed diversity and placed value on inclusion. Fred’s community, and the way he viewed that community, ultimately helped propel him towards a path of being at the center of important conversations surrounding diversity and inclusion. Fred’s willingness to look outside the real estate circle he belonged to in part came from a place of being exposed to people of diverse backgrounds and the sense of belonging within his community at SFS.

“If we want to really understand Community, we have to look just outside our circle, and see who else is here. And who's not. [Identifying] who's not at the table, who's not talking, who's not part of the decision-making.”

It’s when we are open enough to look beyond our comfort zones that we can eventually affect change, as Fred did during his career. For Fred, his background and community helped shape the lens with which he saw the world, one that was beyond just simply belonging somewhere, but one that was challenging and inspiring.

“I hope that SFS really continues to build on the special gift that you have as a student, as a person, a child that's grown up in another culture that's not your own, and what it gives you because it takes a lot away from you… When I was in my twenties, I definitely didn't really feel like I belonged anywhere. I felt like a newcomer everywhere I went, but the strength that it brings you [is] the strength to identify with others.” 19 12

Jack Jin Seoul Foreign School

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SFS Health Office:

(Left to right) Jae-Eun Lah (Head Nurse), Seong Eun Kye (EMT), Jiyeon Kim (Health Office Assistant), and Ji Yae Yoon (EMT).

OUR HEROES

DON'T WEAR CAPES, THEY WEAR SCRUBS

By Julia Church Early Childhood Teacher

COVID has been challenging for all of us, notwithstanding our very youngest. On this occasion our nursing team supported my very fearful young student with empathy, compassion, patience and skill. This is something they always do, and something I regularly appreciate. I have no doubt that dealing with COVID has been very stressful on our school medical team. They have had to make difficult and sometimes unpopular decisions, and are now picking up the pieces COVID has left behind.

Afew weeks ago I had to walk Coralie, one of my PreK-2 students, to the health office after she bumped her chin and bit the inside of her mouth in the playground. When we stepped into the health office, Coralie took one look at the nursing staff in their full protective gear and broke down into a panicky cry. She tried to climb up my leg while simultaneously trying to get to the door. I needed to take her outside to the soccer field to distract her and help her feel calm again. After some time outside watching the older children play soccer, Coralie began to settle down. At this point Nurse Yoon came out. Coralie saw her and began to cry again. Nurse Yoon showed us a little stuffed monkey and put it down on the ground a few meters away. Then she invited us to pick up and play with the monkey, after which she retreated back to the office. We promptly picked up the monkey and sat down on the stairs together. A few minutes later, Nurse Yoon came back out, but this time with a toy train. She explained to us that we were welcome to play with the train, but asked for the monkey back because the monkey needed a bandaid. We walked over to her, gave her the monkey and picked up the train.

A little while later Nurse Yoon came back out holding the monkey with a little bandaid on his belly. She also had a wide popsicle stick. When Coralie saw the stick, she started to panic again. Nurse Yoon handed the stick to her for her to look at it. With shaking hands, Coralie took the popsicle stick and tried to put it up her nose. This confirmed my suspicion that when she saw the nurses she thought she was getting a COVID test. We promptly explained to her that we were not going to touch her

nose today, but that Nurse Yoon just wanted to use it to check inside her mouth to see where she was hurt. After this Coralie allowed me to look inside her mouth with the nurse looking in from behind me. We could see that her mouth and teeth were ok, so Nurse Yoon gave me a wipe to clean Coralie’s chin and a bandaid to cover the wound, after which I told her that we were all done, and Coralie repeated, "All done? All done?" We said goodbye to Nurse Yoon and turned to walk up the stairs back to class. As we walked, we looked over to see the whole team of school nurses happily waving at us through the Health office window.

COVID has been challenging for all of us, notwithstanding our very youngest. I have seen an increase of fear of nurses, dentists, hospitals and doctor's offices in my PreK-2 students as a result of the many COVID tests our young children have had to experience. On this occasion our nursing team supported my very fearful young student with empathy, compassion, patience and skill. This is something they always do, and something I regularly appreciate. I have no doubt that dealing with COVID has been very stressful on our school medical team. They have had to make difficult and sometimes unpopular decisions, and are now picking up the pieces COVID has left behind. I am so grateful to have such wonderful professionals support us in normal times, as well as through the challenges of the pandemic. When you see Dr. Lah, Nurse Yoon, Nurse Kye and Nurse Kim, whether in their office, or outside of it, I encourage you to give them a big thank you for all that they have done, and continue to do to take such great care of us.

BRINGING BACK COMMUNITY

REFLECTIONS FROM SFS BRITISH SCHOOL

While “Bringing Back Community” is a simple enough concept to understand, it means something deeply different to each of us, and how we create meaningful connections can take different forms: seating on the Friendship Bench, going on a school trip, being part of a sports team… Students, faculty and staff from the Seoul Foreign School - British School reflect on what “Bringing Back Community” means to them and the lessons they drew from the pandemic.

Andrew Freeman Principal

If you have ever joined one of my Zoom sessions you may have noticed what my password is, such is the importance of the word and what it means to us at Seoul Foreign School British School. Yes, you’re right, it is: Community (whilst it is an important word to me, I don’t use it anywhere else as a password, just in case you were wondering).

Every single one of us is part of one community or another. There are ones we choose to be a part of and ones we find ourselves in, for better or worse. An alum, John Chae ’02, came to visit British School students recently to talk about his life and work with orphaned children here in Seoul. For those children, a prior community they were part of was not there anymore or was not working for them and so they had no choice but to join a new community, the orphanage. In sharing stories of some of the children he cared for, he reminded us that “we are all only one circumstance away” from events bringing us into a different situation and, potentially, a new community.

So, community is important. It shapes who we are today and who we will be tomorrow. One circumstance can change our lives, the community we are part of and who we will be in the future. That is why, at SFS British School, I encourage us to all put each other first and be a connected community. Using our values to guide who we are together. Being united in what we are trying to achieve. Dealing with challenges or differences with respect. Crafting circumstances for us to be of service to each other. Making the most of the circumstances that we are currently living in.

Can we be better? We can always be better. We make mistakes. We learn. We grow. However, the family and community at SFS British School and at SFS work together to allow us to do that; our Community, our password to who we will be tomorrow.

TEN-MINUTE TUESDAYS IN PRAYER

John Kett Assistant Principal

While running along leafy lanes just outside of Chattanooga this summer, I was praying about the year to come at school and God put Prayer on my heart. The seed was sown to set up a prayer group at the school. Something small to start with. See what grows.

The seed of this idea nearly died before it even had time to be planted. The energy that comes with a new school year pushed the idea further and further down my list of things to do, until an invitation for a chat with Jean Kim reminded me of what God was stirring on that run. Jean had also heard God speaking during the summer. “It’s all about prayer – that’s what makes the difference.”

‘Ten-minute Tuesdays in Prayer’ does what it says on the tin. Ten minutes. Every Tuesday. Praying together in the British School. Praying for each other. Praying for Seoul Foreign School. Responding to prayer requests that come through on the Google form. And just like a seed, slowly growing. Two people the first week. Then three. Four. Five. Last week there were six of us. “This is the best ten minutes of my week,” said one member of the group. Amen to that.

Impact is not always measured by size. I am so thankful for Ten-minute Tuesdays in Prayer and am thankful for how this community is blessed and, I pray, being a blessing to Seoul.

UNIT 1 LEARNING

Jamie Juhyun Oh Year 9

During Unit 1 of this year’s learning, we have been focusing on the key word ‘Community’. The definition of community is, “a group of people living in the same place or having a particular characteristic in common”. This definition emphasises that community is a place where everyone accepts one another, and comes together with the same intentions, which links to our Big Idea, ‘Appreciating our differences results in a shared sense of belonging’. During this unit in English, we have been learning about dystopian novels, which depict exaggerated worst-case scenarios of the world, where dictatorship prohibits freedom and individual rights. This made me think about how our school community is utopian in a lot of ways, as SFS British School allows freedom, brings people of different nationalities and identities together, and sends love and care to anyone, regardless of who they are.

Coming together Opportunities crafted Making real Moving perspectives Uplifting others Needs supported Including all Together stronger Yes, Seoul Foreign [British] School

NANUMI

Hannah Tomes Year 9

To me, community is when everyone respects and supports one another. Or in the words of our Unit 1 big idea, “appreciating our differences results in a shared sense of belonging”. During the summer, I volunteered at a soup kitchen called Nanumi. It was a memorable experience to see how many homeless people there were and how some of them don’t look homeless at all. I don’t think we could’ve ever done this during the pandemic, but helping out as soon as we could and as often as we can really does help you create a sense of community between yourselves and the people who are receiving your help. Seeing the happy faces while they ate and how grateful they looked did make the 3 hours of standing up worth it. As well as British Schoolers there were students from the High School and Middle School, as well as parents helping out, and this alone created a diverse sense of community and I was surprised by how many similarities we had. This was a really great and memorable experience that I will cherish for a long time so I recommend it to anyone who is willing to do it; it honestly doesn’t feel like work when you see how much you’re helping a person and how happy it makes them.

BRITISH SCHOOL PLAYGROUND

Emily Kim Year 9

The new British School playground has really opened up an area to socialise and hang out, which is even more important considering the impact of the pandemic. I've been at SFBS for 8 years and the playground has never been more accessible. It is full of opportunities, fun and colour. The new playground has done nothing but good for us, and it's appealing to not only younger primary kids but to older ages leading up to middle years too. I feel that this playground has created a more positive environment for the British School community and has played a big part in bringing our community closer together. This new playground is creating safe, fun areas for all ages and I always see children (even from other parts of the school) running around and having fun in the new playground. The new playground has helped many new (and old) students find a sense of belonging and make new friends and has had a significant positive impact on all of us at the British School. I would like to thank everyone who made this possible.

TIRE SWING

Soobin Shin Year 9

In May 2022, my good friend Yuna and I started a mission to save the British School tire swing. As many people may already know, the British School playground has recently been renovated over the summer of 2022. The tire swing was not in the original plan of the new playground, therefore the thought of losing it brought a lot of students’ attention. As a person who grew up in SFBS from Foundation to current Year 9, I have gotten very attached to the tire swing as it has been a big part of my childhood. When we were informed that it would be removed, my partner and I knew that this was the mission that we would be taking on. We soon realised that we haven’t had a school gathering in a while and decided to start a fundraiser using events that would catch people's attention. Eventually we were able to plan many events where we could raise money, such as an end of the year party including a basketball tournament, pizza, prizes and a bake sale. On other days we had free dress and more bake sales. To me, community means feeling a shared sense of belonging where everyone can come together as a whole. Especially during the pandemic we were unable to enjoy many special events, therefore it meant a lot to me being able to work on this project whilst saving our tire swing, and we are proud that this now has a place in the new British School playground.

NEW STUDENT

Claire Hong Year 8

To me, community means you have support during the hard times and always have each other’s backs when something totally unexpected or new happens.

I first joined the SFS British School community in Year 8, and not to lie, I was very nervous. Even during the summer holidays I continued to worry whether I would settle in the environment quickly. But when I first visited the school I found out that I had nothing to be worried about, and there were people and friends who helped me throughout things that I wasn’t used to. I am still very grateful for the people who gave me a helping hand any time I was stuck, and that is when I learned the true meaning of community: helping others navigate through their pathways and just basically being there for them. I personally feel that the SFS British School community is very strong and family-like, and that is why I felt very included even from the beginning of my journey in this school, and I am very looking forward to the time I have left in this community.

BADMINTON

Grace Baek Year 9

Ever since the start of August 2022, my SFBS experience in sports has changed significantly. Activities such as KAIAC and MY SELECT Badminton were previously only inter-school activities, as competitions with other international schools were highly restricted and mostly not allowed after COVID-19 started. But this year, in KAIAC, we were able to do a Jamboree with other international schools in Korea! Also, last year’s KAIAC Badminton used to be very segregated between the British School and Middle school. Last year, we were only able to play within a very limited number of people, and there was no competition with other schools whatsoever, so our skills didn’t improve as much. However this year, the badminton experience took a 180 degree turn, at least for me. We were able to perfect our skills and play with a variety of people from Middle School, British School, and even High School who all had the same interest. And the fact that we were able to connect with other people outside of the British School and play sports together brought back such a strong sense of community. This has helped me make more friends, play with people above my skill level, as well as learning many new skills from experienced players in High School. A few weeks later, we are going to do a Jamboree with Chadwick! I am so ecstatic as this is going to be my first competition outside of SFS. Overall, I am genuinely really glad that the SFBS community reunited again and I’m sure that as the year progresses, there are going to be even more opportunities coming our way.

BRITISH SCHOOL HEAD STUDENTS

Junseo Lee Year 9

During the past year there have been so many changes in such a short amount of time that I don’t think I have been able to truly appreciate the British School community. I personally believe that the changes regarding the head students [electing three students instead of two, with one responsible for the care of each Key Stage 3 year group] was a good decision because it unlocked so many opportunities for ideas and opinions to be voiced and shared from all year groups. Becoming a head student myself is going to be one of my biggest achievements this year and I am constantly learning and developing new skills that I am sure will help me in the future. There are a variety of different skills that I learnt throughout my time at SFBS, and the core values will always be a big part of my time here. My ability to collaborate and communicate with peers has significantly increased since I first joined this school; I have learnt how to respect people, not just teachers but other students as well; I have learnt how to be courageous and take risks from time to time, how to reflect on my past decisions and experiences, and learnt to reflect on what I can do better next time I face the same problem. Through this position as head student I have had the chance to communicate with so many different members of the SFBS community and it has really shown me how much the teachers and the school in general care about us students’ wellbeing and our school lives. I believe that community is and always will be a very important part of SFBS and I wish for the future generations to be able to experience the same welcoming, safe environment I had the pleasure of being in.

MIDDLE YEARS DANCE TEAM

Heejeong Choi Year 8

As I came up to KS3, I had not realised the Middle Years Dance Team existed and I was desperate to join as soon as I heard the news. I loved how SFS students could get connected through dancing and how we developed a team with everyone having something in common. We met every Saturday afternoon each week, sacrificing our weekends in order to dance. The dance team pulled me closer to our SFS community and the experience stretched out my confidence. I got to know several Middle School students and I learnt a lot from my dance team peers. I was able to learn from their dancing techniques, styles and especially their confidence. The lessons helped me establish my stage presence and become a true performer which also helped me to climb onto the stage for the Middle Years play as well. Joining the dance team is an experience I will never regret and will hold a special place in my heart.

ATHLETICS

Sebi Kim Year 9

As the severity of the COVID-19 pandemic started to rise, our British School community started to spread out in our own directions, back to our home countries or behind the screen. We as students started to get tired of waking up in the morning just to join our daily zoom calls all day, everyday. Living in an uncertain and constantly changing environment for two years has helped us learn to appreciate our community and our inperson school days.

This school year, as amazing opportunities have started to open up again, I have been able to make friends and meet new people from different schools through a range of sports and clubs. Last week I was able to attend my first ever cross country jamboree and, for the first time post-Covid, I felt like I belonged to the SFS community, both as an athlete and as a student. As I stood behind the starting line waiting to run, I realized how proud and thankful I was to be able to learn in a diverse and passionate school environment.

After the race had ended, a whirlwind of emotions had hit me abruptly. I was more than excited to tell my closest friends and family that I had finished first, but more importantly, I was amazed by how everyone on the team pushed to reach the end even after all of the ups and downs we had in practice. My first jamboree experience showed me how strong our community was tied together and how thankful to be in the SFS community.

ASSEMBLIES

Junseo Lee Year 9

We have recently begun to have assemblies again in SFS British School. They are really influential and I feel that the presenters are simply amazing. Recently, John Chae ’02, an SFS alumni working and running an orphanage, gave a presentation that was truly heartwarming. He talked about his childhood and about how his family supported abandoned children. Though scared to admit this to his friends at first, he eventually gained the courage to help out his community and asked other students to help out the orphanage. This happened with no regrets for him; he now runs his family’s orphanage and is taking care of many children who he hopes to give the opportunity of bright futures. He talked about his struggles to run the orphanage and the tragedies that occur there, but even if there are sad times and even if there are moments that make him cry, he still pursues and does not give up on the responsibility that he has. His presentation was certainly very influential to the audience and he even shed some tears whilst presenting. I believe that these are the people that will change our world for the better and create a better community for everyone.

AFTERMATH OF VIRTUAL LEARNING

Zoe Greenhalgh Year 9

What I think has helped me build a community is Virtual Learning. I realise that it sounds rather far-fetched, but you see, it isn’t Virtual Learning itself that has helped me build a community; it is the afterthought of it. As you probably all know, the pandemic forced us to go on Virtual Learning for quite some time. The endless hours on Zoom and only being able to see friends on video chats had quite the impact on our lives, not to mention the communities that we were still a part of. Now, Virtual Learning is a thing of the past however the experience remains a valuable treasure. That experience has made me more appreciative of the communities that I was and am a part of therefore has helped me build up those communities. In my opinion, the new British School playground, so bright and colourful, is the perfect place to be with those communities. Benches, nets and other equipment help the communities thrive presenting us with places to talk with each other, play or hang out. With the school campus being so large, there are an infinite amount of places that help us build and thrive the communities which we are a part of. To me, a community is a diverse group of people that share a common interest. Although we are all a part of the SFS community, it then narrows down to smaller communities: the school section, class, friends and so on. So next time you get together with a community of yours, think about what helps build it up. For me, it is the appreciation of being able to be with them in person and places that the campus provides to help these communities thrive.

FOBISIA U15 Team.

WHEN THE HEART LEADS THE WAY

By Christian Ministries Department Jean Kim, Paul Kim, Grace Miller

As a Christ Centered school, the Christian Ministries(CM) provides a wide variety of events and programs that promote community spirit at SFS. Throughout the school year, the CM leads school wide events such as the Faculty worship during orientation to bring new and returning faculty together through worship, United in Prayer, where all sections gather on the field to pray as a community an, Hearts To Serve Assemblies, an all day whole school event that celebrates service work of our students for the local community and throughout the world.

The CM also coordinates a food delivery program called Meals on Wheels for faculty and staff families who have a newborn, a surgery or a crisis. All the meals are voluntarily given generously by the SFS faculty, staff and admin community.

Prayer is also a big part of building community at SFS and the CM supports prayer groups such as MIP, Mothers in Prayer, that meet weekly on Tuesdays to pray for our school and students as well as the monthly Faculty prayer on Thursday nights and the weekly Faculty prayer on Wednesday mornings in the chapel.

The MIP also supports our community through the annual Fall cheer where seasonal apples and caramels are beautifully wrapped with encouraging notes that are sent to all sections and

administrators to let them know that they are appreciated and prayed for throughout the school year.

During the Christmas season, the CM hosts the Christmas Cheer inviting all sections and departments including classified staff to come and warm their hearts with some Christmas snacks, drinks and to catch up with colleagues in the lounge. The Psalms community choir composed of parents, faculty and students not only come together weekly to practice for upcoming performances, they also lead the annual Christmas Caroling Activity on campus bringing the spirit of Christmas cheer to SFS.

Furthermore during the Christmas season, through the annual school wide winter SO-GOOD Project, our students, parents, faculty, staff and classified staff have opportunities to support local charities, organizations and food markets in Seodaemun-gu and Seoul sharing the blessings with those that are in need.

Seven years ago through the vision of our Head of School, Mr. Flanagan, the Christian Ministries was charged with developing relationships with local organizations so that SFS students, faculty and parents could have the opportunity to serve others in our local community. Ever since then, service has grown! Trees have been planted in Bukhansan, canned goods have been collected for the local food markets, high trash areas throughout the district have

Community support is at the heart of the CM. We exist because of those who have selflessly given their time, talents and hearts to support our students through the programs.

been cleaned up, and senior citizens and people with disabilities have visited our school for several programs led and planned by our students.

Furthermore, Mini Olympics, soccer tournaments for overseas adoptees, activities in sports, arts, languages and baking for domestic adoptees, children in foster care and underprivileged children, inviting children with disabilities to attend SFS student musical productions and having children with disabilities and domestic adoptees perform at the Lyso for the Hearts to Serve assemblies are just some of the programs that SFS has hosted for the organizations that have partnerships with us.

Furthermore, for the past five years, our faculty and administrators have participated in giving financial support to underprivileged families that are in financial crisis in Seodaemungu through the Adopt a Family program at SFS. Through their support many families have gained financial independence.

We are blessed to have developed strong connections with local NGOs, orphanages and especially with the local district office of Seodaemun-gu through these programs and activities.

Through the charge from the Head of School, Christian Ministries was able to help build community outside SFS connecting our community with the greater community in Seoul.

Lastly and most importantly, for sectional CM programs such as Discipleship, Psalms Choir, AWANA, TREK and IMPACT, volunteers from our parent, student, faculty and staff groups are crucial in keeping the programs running throughout the school year. People do not realize this often, but without volunteers, there would be no Christian Ministries programs at SFS.

Community support is at the heart of the CM. We exist because of those who have selflessly given their time, talents and hearts to support our students through the programs.

On any given day during lunch, recess time or after school, the CM lounge is full of life (aside from Paul Kim’s laugh) with students who come in to take a break from academia to play foosball, board games or just to chat with friends or a CM staff member.

Through the years, the CM has been a safe haven not only for students but for faculty, staff, parents and even adjumonies who have come by to take a short breather during their busy schedule.

Many have walked through its doors but each individual has been considered to be important because each person is important to God. The CM hopes to continue God’s work of building a community centered in Christ at SFS and outside SFS one person at a time.

THE SPIRIT: BUILDING COMMUNITY IN THE HIGH SCHOOL

By Jia Dunsby Community Page Editor of The Spirit

For nearly 50 years, The Spirit, a student-run newspaper club, has published articles for the Seoul Foreign High School community. Through its diverse set of pages— World, Lifestyle, Community, Culture, and Featuring Arts—The Spirit helps document and share school events, student opinions, and artistic talent. Its publications serve as an authentic reflection of high school student voices and experiences. Over the past few years especially, The Spirit has changed in various ways to further engage with the student body and foster a sense of community. Here are some words from previous and current chief editors on how The Spirit has evolved over the past few years to build community at SFHS.

During Lynn Lee’s ’21 tenure as a staff member, The Spirit actively “published in-print once a month, photographed school events such as homecoming, and created videos about student life.” However, the COVID-19 pandemic hit in her junior year, forcing The Spirit to operate solely online. “It was difficult to run workshops and hold meetings when we weren’t able to gather as a team, but we did our best with Zoom’s limitations,” she says. Students grew less interested in reading in-print editions, so The Spirit ventured into online forms of publication, such as its original website and Issuu. As an Editor-in-Chief (EIC) in her senior year, Lynn and her Co-EIC Christine Yun ’21 made strides in improving “the general clarity of The Spirit’s articles,

highlighting the importance of shorter and clearer sentences” in order to make articles more engaging for students.

Christine Yun ’21 believes The Spirit’s distinct pages provided many different lenses through which students could learn more about the SFHS community. She elaborates, “[The Spirit] really forced each staff member to observe and explore the community from so many angles, whether it was sports, arts, etc.” She also comments that the interactions between writers and students also fostered a sense of integration among the student body. “I was grateful to The Spirit for pushing me out there to interview different people that I would’ve never interacted with otherwise,” Christine says. As an EIC, Christine faced many unpredictable situations, such as last-minute article changes, challenges with staff management, and difficulties encountered in the layout design process. However, Christine reflects that the adaptability and leadership skills required to deal with such circumstances is what makes The Spirit so rewarding for its staff members.

Stephanie Park ’22 stepped into her EIC position with a hurdle to overcome. The hybrid school system SFS was adopting due to COVID-19 severely hindered The Spirit’s distribution and advertising. To address the issue, Stephanie and her Co-EIC Haley Son ’22 completely transformed the traditional newspaper format of The Spirit’s publications into a newsmagazine. Doing so made The Spirit more aesthetically appealing and easier to

read, especially during a time where most new high school students were not aware of The Spirit’s existence as a club. “We also tried to make the publication more community-centered,” Stephanie states, “with our issues incorporating more student surveys, as well as student artworks and photographs featuring student life highlights.” The EIC pair also matched each issue with a time-relevant theme (for example, the December 2021 issue was Christmas-themed, while the March 2022 issue highlighted Women’s History Month). Their final publication, dedicated to the graduating class of 2022, was passed out to more than 500 people at their graduation ceremony.

Haley Son ’22 felt that during her four years in writer, editor, and EIC roles, The Spirit was always a constant part of student life in the high school. “Whether it was a photographer standing in the back of the crowd, a writer interviewing faculty, or an editor listening for new article ideas, The Spirit was always working behind the scenes,” she comments. She mentions that a highlight of her time as EIC was the large staff size of over 50 people; she found community being built even within The Spirit, where “students with passions in writing and design [could come together]” to produce work through talent and perseverance.

Current EICs Kate Choi ’23 and William Kim ’23 are working hard to keep up the legacy of their predecessors. They’ve already made significant changes to the publication by restructuring its

page system. Historically, The Spirit has featured the pages News, Opinions, Student Life, Sports, and Arts, but this year’s pages are now called World, Lifestyle, Community, and Culture. “We found that there were certain pages people read a lot of [and] certain pages that people really didn’t touch, so we decided to change up the sections a bit. We wanted to reflect the SFHS community more accurately by adapting to their interests,” William explains. The Community page, for example, is a direct opportunity for individual students, teachers, clubs, or faculty members in the high school community to be highlighted and celebrated. The editors have also made efforts to connect with the student body through surveys featured in publications. For example, William said, “We just released a survey asking people what they are grateful for, the responses [to] which will be included in our November issue.”

The Spirit has come a long way since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. From figuring out how to maneuver Zoom meetings to passing out hundreds of print issues at last year’s graduation ceremony, editors have been hard at work to make The Spirit an integral part of the high school community. For many years to come, The Spirit will continue to be an incredible outlet for passionate and talented students to shine. 19 12

(Above) British School Year 1 and 2 students "A Day in a Life" unit activity with senior citizens.

(Below) The Middle Years Concert Band Informance with parents.

The Community of Art

By John Striffler Director of Arts

Artcan mean so many things to each one of us. It can be a form of personal expression, a catharsis, something to sit and simply enjoy, or something to remind us of a personal struggle or triumph. At Seoul Foreign School art can have all of those meanings and hundreds more, but one thing that has always been true at SFS is that art and community go hand in hand.

Throughout the pandemic, so many of our artists and so much of their art had to be performed in silence…had to be seen in shadow. Now, as we begin to come back together as a community we can begin to rejoice, to celebrate, to experience the Community of Art once again at Seoul Foreign School.

There are so many things that make SFS not only a great school, but a wonderful community. It’s the strength of our IB programme, our Christian values, the way we serve, our amazing athletics, and how we, as a community, unite in the arts. This semester has seen us come together, as a community, through the arts time and time again.

We began the year with our High School theatre students performing Andrew Lloyd Webber’s, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Over the course of seven weeks, over seventy of our High School students came together as actors, musicians and technicians and worked tirelessly to bring our community together in the Lyso Mainstage Theatre for the first time since the Fall of 2019. In terms of what they accomplished in only seven weeks of rehearsal time is incredible but bringing our community back together to hear this story is incalculable. It was heartwarming to see and hear full audiences applauding our students once again.

Our Key Stage 2 thespians were also able to bring us together in the most SUPERCALIFRAGILISTICEXPIALIDOCIOUS way in our British School production of Mary Poppins Jr. Whether it was our ability to go fly a kite, dance like chimney sweeps on the rooftops of London or literally soar with Mary Poppins herself, some of our younger performers made us feel like kids again as this brought this timeless Disney classic to life and brought community members of all ages together. It was wonderful fun for everyone!

Coming together through the gift of music is something that is also cherished here at SFS. We are so excited to welcome parents back to our concerts and especially to bring the community back

together through song during the Christmas season. It is one of the most special times of the year at school and something that has been sorely missed over the last few years. Whether it’s seeing our youngest singers in PreK-2, listening to our High School Wind Ensemble or coming together for our School-Wide celebration of Christmas, tis the season of community at SFS and being able to celebrate and share this sacred and special season truly denotes how music as an artform unites us.

Along with bringing our local community together, music has also been able to unite our international school community again with the hosting of APAC Orchestra this Fall. Guest conductor and SFS alumnus Dr. Gene Moon ’93 joined us to conduct our APAC Orchestra students from schools in Korea, the Philippines, Japan, and Vietnam. Having these students and our friends and colleagues from abroad be able to visit us again has been such a blessing and lift to our school.

Visual Art is sometimes seen as something very personal, something that one experiences on their own….but not here at Seoul Foriegn School. The Visual Arts are something that defines us as a community. Early in the Fall our Year 1 and Year 2 students in the British School were fortunate and blessed to be able to work with a group of senior citizens from our local community on an art project. The purpose of having the senior citizens come to SFS was to provide an opportunity for the students to collaborate and meet with members of the broader community as part of their unit, “A Day in a Life”. The students and senior citizens worked together to create an art project to be exhibited at our school to show that young and old can work together no matter their culture or age.

Later in the semester we also opened our first School-Wide art show of the year on the second floor of the Lyso Center. This is the first opening we’ve had in which we were able to invite our entire community. This is an incredible opportunity as parents are able to see works of art from our youngest artists to our Grade 12 students in the High School.

The community of art here at Seoul Foreign School is strong. It is something that brings us together, allows us to celebrate, unites us in very individual ways. Art is something that is truly woven into the fabric of the Seoul Foreign School and its community.

(Above) DP Visual Arts Year 2 students visit to Museum San.

(Below) British School Key Stage 2 Production, Mary Poppins Jr.

Confessions of a Drama Mama

If you’ve ever watched a show in the Lyso center, you’ve most likely encountered them. Dressed in a cast T-shirt, running around holding a brush or a sewing kit, rushing to get backstage: the “Drama Mamas” may be hustling and bustling, but they’re always doing so with a smile!

As students and teachers have made their way back to the classroom (goodbye Zoom!), the greater school community has also been encouraged to embrace a sense of normalcy as we returned to campus. And this semester, school was buzzing around the drama production—the first one since COVID-19, and another significant step towards post-pandemic norms.

It wasn’t just the students who welcomed this step towards normalcy—the “Drama Mamas” have gone full steam ahead to make sure the show went on. This group comes together every year to put together the school’s many shows, and they have it down to a T.

They split up the group into different teams—costumes, hair and makeup, props, snacks, etc., assign team leads and hit the ground running. Then, they’ll get together with the legendary Mrs. Moon to understand her vision for the different characters, and then the team will go to Dongdaemun Market to shop for materials. Once a seamstress puts together the initial pieces, the Drama Mamas come in to bring the characters to life: adjustments to the costumes, embellishments, accessorizing hats, shoes, shawls, etc. And that’s just the beginning.

On show days, you’ll find the Drama Mamas backstage, helping 100+ students with costume changes, touching up makeup or re-doing someone’s hair. Even though it feels far from glamorous, it never feels overwhelming because they’re all in it together.

“The fact that there's always this wonderful group of moms who are willing to come in and help with everything [is great because] there's not much glory in it, and there's a lot of time

put in, and you know, dusting areas and doing all that pulling and stuff. But we do it for the kids and for the show, for the community.” says Joelle Lewis.

Sun Shin noted that “it just becomes a very close, tight group of people, the Drama Mamas, because they go through a lot together. They’re in crunch time, stressed out and having to pull through, manage, juggle different things… [But ultimately] I think because a lot of the parents are from abroad, [the school] is kind of like their family. So it's a community/family feel when we get together. I think there's a great camaraderie that grows out of that.”

And this camaraderie naturally builds a community founded upon growing together, especially as Drama Mamas have collectively experienced growth in untapped skills not limited to the world of Google Docs, sewing velcro on costumes or painting eyebrows.

“We do it for our kids. But we do it for each other as well.” says Joelle.

All these efforts show others around the Drama Mamas what it means to be part of a community—to work, collaborate and communicate with each other for a greater purpose.

As Sun puts it, “everybody brings their own unique gift [to the show]… And it turns into something spectacular.”

Each show brings its own set of challenges, but ultimately the heart and willingness to put in the work together with others is what keeps the Drama Mamas going. As we all look ahead to a more normalized, post-pandemic life, it’s safe to say that the show must and will go on, backed by a community who have become stronger together.

Sun Shin and Joelle Lewis, British School parents and Drama Mamas.

A Drama Mama in action for the performance of Mary Poppins. Jr..

(Above) High School Cross Country KAIAC Tournament.

(Below) High School Boys Varsity Volleyball game.

We are in this Together

By Paul Rader Director of Sports

During the pandemic, SFS Sports has worked hard to provide our students with opportunities to continue playing sports despite the challenges. Some seasons we were not able to do anything due to the restrictions. Some seasons we were able to form teams or training groups, but we were not able to play any 'real' competitions. Other seasons we were able to form teams and we were able to play full seasons. In all the situations that we faced, a common restriction was on spectators, which meant that if we did have games they were played without any audience. What we learned through this time is that competition is the lifeblood of sports! And that spectators, especially our parents, are so important to our school spirit and community!

This year, we have been very thankful and fortunate to be able to BRING BACK OUR COMMUNITY through a full schedule of competitive sporting events. We hosted over 20 inter-school sporting events on our campus this fall, including cross country races, soccer jamborees, volleyball games and tennis matches.

At these events we had incredible support from our parents who came out in force to cheer and support the teams. It was great to see our parents back on campus, many meeting each other for the first time in person. The vibe on campus during

these events was incredible and you could feel the positivity of engaging in community again. Personally, I had a lot of parents that I was meeting for the first time! I got a lot of "Oh! You're Paul Rader. You're the guy that sends me so many emails!"

Something that I didn't expect was the positive significance of welcoming visiting parents from other schools to the campus. While they are not directly a part of our community, they are a part of the larger international school community, and we have a responsibility to welcome them and show our spirit of hospitality to our guests. I heard many compliments from visiting parents regarding our school and our hospitality. I think that is a testament to our culture and I am thankful that we can help set the expectation for high quality community events.

I would be remiss if I didn't give a specific shoutout and thank you to our Parent Associations who provided concessions for our events. Food matters!

This fall was a great testament to the importance of competition and how sporting events bring our community together. We look forward to seeing you all at our upcoming events!

Acad emics

The Power of Feedback

By Piotr Kocyk DP Coordinator

Evidence shows that feedback is one of the most powerful influences on learning. However, to make it truly powerful, feedback needs to provide information specifically relating to the task or process of learning that fills a gap between what is understood and what is aimed to be understood. The gap may be reduced through increased effort, motivation, or engagement. But how to achieve it? Students can increase their effort, particularly when the effort leads to tackling more challenging tasks or appreciating higher quality experiences rather than just doing “more” (Sadler, 1989). They may also develop effective error detection skills, which lead to their own self-feedback aimed at reaching a goal (Hattie & Timperley, 2007). Lastly, learners can be taught strategies to develop their self-regulatory proficiencies and become independent learners. How can teachers and parents help children develop these strategies? These are some of the ideas that you can explore with your students and children.

1. Provide realistic and specific goals that are achievable and relevant to the child's interest. Specific goals focus students’ attention on feedback that naturally becomes more individualized. Becoming better in math or swimming is not specific enough to remain motivated for a longer time.

The goal must be specific enough to identify the success criteria and accomplishment. Literature also suggests that feedback is most effective when goals are specific and challenging but task complexity is low (Hattie & Timperely, 2007).

2. Making goals and tasks intentionally difficult will not sustain a student's motivation. Our brains are addicted to success so making goals achievable is crucial. Moreover, feedback is more effective when it provides information on correct rather than incorrect responses and when it builds on changes from previous attempts. No one wants to hear that they failed. Van-Dijk and Kluger (2001) demonstrated that positive feedback increases motivation for a task that students “want to do”. It also increases the likelihood that students will return to or persist in an activity and selfreport higher interest in the activity (Deci et al., 1999).

3. Encourage persistence at task performance in the face of obstacles. Students who remain motivated to complete challenging tasks are more successful when tackling large projects working under time constraints in the future.

4. Model commitment and attainment to goals. Many teachers and parents assume that students share a commitment to academic goals, but the reality is that this shared commitment needs to be constantly nurtured and built. The most successful goals are those created by students, not teachers or parents. When students set goals for themselves, they are more likely to attain them and are more likely to seek and receive feedback (Locke & Latham, 1990).

Feedback is an essential tool for building self-aware and self-regulating learners who can monitor, direct, and regulate actions toward their personal goals. It implies autonomy, selfcontrol, self-direction, and self-discipline that could be practiced and developed at home and school. Such regulation involves “self-generated thoughts, feelings, and actions that are planned and cyclically adapted to the attainment of personal goals” (Zimmerman, 2000, p. 14) and can lead to seeking and accepting feedback. Our willingness to receive and act upon feedback depends on the commitment to the goal. The more we want something, the more feedback we seek to achieve it. Let’s help our students and children to set their own goals and commit to something that they want to achieve.

References:

• Deci, E. L., Koestner, R., & Ryan, R. M. (1999). A meta-analytic review of experiments examining the effects of extrinsic rewards on intrinsic motivation. Psychological bulletin, 125(6), 627.

• Hattie, J., & Timperley, H. (2007). The Power of Feedback. Review of Educational Research, 77(1), 81–112.

• Locke, E. A., & Latham, G. P. (1990). A theory of goal setting & task performance. Prentice-Hall, Inc.

• Sadler, D. R. (1989). Formative assessment and the design of instructional systems. Instructional science, 18(2), 119-144.

• Van-Dijk, D., & Kluger, A. N. (2001). Goal orientation versus selfregulation: Different labels or different constructs. In 16th annual convention of the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology, San Diego, CA.

Introduction to VEX Robotics

students with strong STEM-related skills has become essential in a world where technology is at the forefront of every innovation. How to teach Science, Technology, Engineering and Math in an engaging and fun way? Enter VEX Robotics.

Equipping

What is VEX Robotics?

VEX Robotics is a global robotics program aimed at exposing and enhancing robotics learning for students of all ages. The Competitive VEX scene brings together the brightest students across the globe to qualify for a chance to compete and win at the VEX Robotics World Championships. Students must be able to design, code, and drive robots to complete various tasks to score as many points as possible within a given time limit. VEX has various disciplines of competition, all of which have different parts, both plastic and metal, which must be used for the robots to compete officially. The games for each discipline change yearly, providing fresh challenges for the students to tackle.

Last year Seoul Foreign School students competed in the VIQ and VRC disciplines of the Worlds Competition.

VIQ or VRC?

VIQ or VEX IQ Competition is an Elementary and Middle school competition program that requires students to use the plastic VEX IQ parts in order to build their robots. Although the plastic pieces are simple to put together, many of them interlocking together with small plastic pins, the game elements and competition tasks mandate that students create complicated systems that intake, launch, and dispense. Students must understand and problem solve issues from friction to gear ratios, among others. All VIQ competitions also include a coding portion where teams code their robots to perform driver tasks through simple block coding to more complicated python codes.

VRC or VEX Robotics Competition is a Middle and High school VEX competition program that requires students to use metal

VEX V5 parts to create their robots. The metal parts used in VRC can be manipulated by cutting the pieces to fit the team’s needs. A series of screws, washers, and nuts are used to secure the pieces together. VRC robots are expected to be able to intake, launch, lift, index, and expand to complete their tasks. Due to the nature of the metal pieces, teams must be able to design and create systems to perform interlocking functions with their rigid metal frames. Coding in VRC robots extends from C++ to Python.

SFS and the 2022 VEX Worlds Competition: Seoul Foreign School’s first trip to the in person VEX Worlds Competition brought the program new insights and impactful experiences for all those involved. Hosted from May 2-12, 2022 at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center in Dallas, Texas, 3,000 teams from 36 nations all gathered together to compete. The atmosphere in the Convention Center was buzzing. Each team is granted their own pit area, where they can store materials and repair their robots as well as show off the school and country that they are representing. The opening ceremony, hosted inside a giant auditorium, was ablaze with excitement and fervor as teams walked out on stage to represent their nations. Our teams, draped in their Worlds robes, proudly carried the Korean flag out onto the stage.

2022-23 Season

Competition Dates:

KAIAC VRC VEX; December 7th @Dwight

KAIAC VRC VEX; January 11th @APIS

KAIAC VRC Finals; January 28th

VIQ Korean Nationals; February 4th

VRC Korean Nationals; February 25th

VRC World Championship; April 25 - 29, 2023

VIQ World Championships; April 30 - May 4, 2023

Quiz Bowl and the Quest for Knowledge

Joining

an Academic Quiz Team is not only a great way to test one’s general knowledge, it also rewards and encourages learning while providing important experiences with teamwork and preparation. And bonus: it’s fun!

Quiz bowl is a game in which two teams compete head-to-head to answer questions from all areas of knowledge, including history, literature, science, fine arts, current events, popular culture, sports, and more. Organized quiz bowl competitions are available at grade levels from middle school up. (source: naqt.com)

There are 3 components needed for AQT. The players, the moderator and the scorekeeper. During each game, there will be two teams of 4, one moderator and one scorekeeper. The moderator is in charge of reading the questions and the scorekeeper keeps score throughout the game.

The defining feature of quiz bowl is the use of a “buzzer system” that lets players interrupt the reading of a question when they know the answer. That element adds a dimension of confidence, anticipation, and rapid recall to a game about knowing facts. Those “tossup” questions are answered individually, but doing so earns one’s team a chance at a three-part “bonus” question. Bonus questions are worth more points and allow collaboration, but are generally more difficult. (souce: naqt.com)

If a student answers correctly within the bolded portion of the tossup question, they will earn 15 points for “power” and if students answer correctly once the entire question has been read they will receive 10 points. If a student buzzes in mid-question and they get it incorrect it will be -5 points. Each bonus question is worth 10 points - this means the maximum number of points the team can score on one question is 45 points.

In Korea, we have monthly KAIAC Tournaments with other international schools such as SIS, KIS, TCIS and YISS. All AQT tournaments have been through zoom for the past couple of years due to the pandemic but we are so grateful and excited that we are back to having in-person tournaments! There is the National Championship Tournament that happens every year in the United States. To qualify for Nationals, we must finish within the top 15%

of an official NAQT registered tournament. This year, both High School and Middle School teams have qualified and will head to the States to compete in the Nationals in May! High School Nationals will be held in Atlanta and Middle School Nationals will be held in Chicago.

We are very proud to say that both our High School and Middle School teams have qualified for the National Championship Tournaments every year from 2019!

The quiz bowl world in the United States has been a huge part of schools with a lot of history and competition whereas other international schools are now starting to expand. Our school teams use the opportunity of Nationals as a great experience rather than going with the mindset to win. In recent years, AQT has become a big area of interest for students and is continuously growing at international schools from all around the world.

Follow us on Instagram for the latest updates! @sfs_academicquiz.

Would you make the SFS AQT Team?

Test your general knowledge by answering these questionsgoogle is not allowed!

• This desert’s Dragon Breath Cave contains one of the world’s largest underground lakes. The Namib Desert is west of this desert, which includes the delta of the Okavango River. Most of Botswana is covered by what desert of interior southern Africa?

• Herodotus claimed these people were called “Oiorpata” by the Scythians, whose lands they settled after losing to the Greeks in battle. Hera caused these people to believe that their ruler had been abducted by a visiting hero. Members of this group included Melanippe Antiope, and Penthesilea. During his ninth labor, Hercules won the girdle of Hippolyta, a queen of what tribe of warrior women?

• This spacecraft took a photograph known as the Family Portrait, and it took the first photograph of volcanic activity on Io. Despite its name, it was the second probe launched with a “Golden Record.” Name this NASA probe which is the farthest man-made object from Earth.

Letter from Alumni Relations

After more than 2 years of the campus being mostly closed to outside tours, it has been great to welcome former students and faculty back to campus to see their alma mater. Whether it is a recent graduate or someone from a number of years back, visitors always have entertaining stories of their experience at SFS and the community that made their time here significant. It is always interesting to hear their perspective on SFS from the time they left to now. Like Korea, SFS is always in motion.

A significant number of alumni that come back to visit are those that are still in university and are in Seoul for summer or for breaks. These alumni enjoy reconnecting with their teachers and former friends from their SFS days and often give advice to the current high schoolers in this informal setting. The students want reassurance from the alumni that the DP will prepare them for university and college. I have yet to hear an alum share that they did not feel well equipped for the challenges they faced in higher education.

Those alumni who are a few more years along in life are so amazed at the tremendous offering of the new High School building. Not only the building but the resources the space affords the various sections is impressive, like the stunning art classroom

SFS Global Connect

on the top floor or the design labs that are full of cutting edge technology that we did not have room for in the former high school. Upon seeing the industrial-sized laser, one alumnus commented that he did not even have such an advanced machine at his university.

As much as the school facilities have changed, one commonality amongst all the alumni is their desire to see their former teachers.

Whether you're coming from across Seoul or from across the world, you are a member of the SFS community and we would love to welcome you back to campus. Contact Eric De Haan, Director of Alumni Relations to set up a visit at eric.dehaan@ seoulforeign.org

Eric DeHaan Director of Alumni Relations

Story from the past

Prior to installing the astroturf in 2003, the field was sandy gravel. While walking across the pitch with one visiting alumnus he paused and pulled up his pant leg and showed me a scar which was inflicted by the pitch while being slide tackled. He could not recall if he made the goal or not.

SFS

Global Connect is a private platform connecting alumni. The robust tool combines many of the features of Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn into an online space for alumni. You can look up and email friends via the directory, post and comment on photos, add to the feed, as well as check out all the events for alumni both in person and online. Access SFS Global Connect today at sfsconnect.com or by scanning the QR code.

Seoul

Foreign School

GLOBAL CONNECT

Celebrating 40 years of the British School, 40 years of IBDP & the 110 th anniversary of SFS

Alumni visits to campus are back!

Interview with Chris Jaewoo Koh '99

By Cyrielle Bazin Director of Communications and Marketing

We recently had the immense pleasure to catch up with Alumnus Chris J. Koh ‘99. A New Jersey native, Chris attended SFS in Middle and High School from 1993 to 1999, back when only 31% of Seniors owned a cell phone. In this interview, Chris discusses his life-defining high school experience, finding his identity as a student and his successful career, from SK Chemicals to Co-Founding the Coupang empire to starting a venture capital firm.

Q: When did you attend SFS, and how long were you there for?

A: I was there from the 1993-1994 school year. When I came to Korea, I was in fourth grade. So I did a few years of Korean school before I transferred over to SFS and graduated in 1999.

Q: Where were you prior to coming to Korea? Where was home for you?

A: I was born in New Jersey and grew up as a product of America in the 80’s until I was 10 years old. Then my life took a dramatic turn when my parents moved back to Seoul and I was forced to adapt to the Korea of the 90s. Admittedly, it was the toughest to adjust to the Korean education system but I was lucky to have support from family and friends in Korea that made everything else easier. When I entered SFS, the community particularly helped me come to peace with calling both America and Korea my home.

Q: Do you consider yourself a Third Culture Kid?

A: Absolutely. I mean, I think for us at SFS we are special in that sense, where we have our own unique culture that is shared by a small community. I think that’s what gives us strength and tightness in community that lasts a lifetime. I also

think in some instances, it can be hard because it’s difficult to be categorized in broad groups that society defines. I think a lot of SFSers, myself included, go through this identity crisis throughout life : which group do I belong to? Am I American or Korean or something else? I think the question of selfawareness is especially relevant for Third Culture Kids.

Q: So when someone asks you “where are you from?”, what's your go-to answer?

A: It depends on who asks and the context….(laughs) Usually, I'd say South Korea but depending on the situation I have New Jersey, California and Texas as alternative answers. So, it's tricky. And it depends on how much I want to talk and explain.

Q: What was your SFS experience?

A: I would describe it as character defining. It really helped shape my view of human relationships and community. Until this day, the relationships that I have within the SFS community continue to teach me that friendships forged from authentic and genuine interactions are the most important reliable source of joy and mental support. I still consider them the best friends that I have. And still keep in contact with most of them. I think that's true for most of the alumni that I know as well. They always have very good close ties to each other, in every age group and so they're very, very supportive as well. I think it is more pronounced at SFS because although the community is diverse, we can relate to each other in a way that is not possible with non-SFSers.

Q: And after High School?

A: After high school, I went to UC Irvine to study economics. And kind of did the whole college circle there and I think during my college days, I had to open my eyes and think about

So do something that you really think you can do. And I would say, do it!

As I said, I think it takes a certain personality to do it, though. You really need to be tenacious, you have to be resilient. It's a roller coaster ride, the highs are the highest highs I've ever had, and the lows are the lowest lows.

And it's so challenging, but it's the most rewarding.

surviving in the real world. Everyone was kind of thinking about ‘how do we make a living from now on?’. After four years of college, I still didn't know what I wanted to do with my life. And I think what I’m trying to say to those students is that it’s totally normal. There are the lucky ones who know straight out of high school. But most of us don't. And so I went through that, and thought ‘okay, let's just start somewhere’. Some of my peers went to the investment banking industry and all that, and I had that pressure of ‘what's everyone else doing?’. And these guys in the finance industry are getting paid $150,000 two years out of college in 2005 while I was making $25,000 to $30,000 at a Korean company, and I felt the real pressure of being “behind” my peers. But as the years went by and the finance industry took a downturn, my inferiority complex seemed trivial. I think everyone has a different path and pace in life so I want to encourage students not to feel that way so early on. So I just thought about, ‘okay, what are the choices laid out here for me?’. And that's kind of the journey that I took after college. I didn't know what I wanted to do. I just wanted to learn the ropes. So, I came back to Korea and started at a traditional company called SK Chemicals. I did a five year stint there helping with corporate planning, corporate development, and corporate strategy. So, it's a little bit different from where I ended up, but I learned the basics of business culture in Korea and saw how big corporations do it. I learned and tried to absorb as much as possible for the five years I was there, and during my fourth year I thought ‘hey, this is not it for me’.

Q: What was it about this environment that you thought was not for you?

A: Well, I think it's just a personality thing. I work better with smaller groups. I noticed there were some great things about

the Korean work culture and how everyone's so hard working. And that's part of the reason why I’m still actively involved in the business community in Korea. But after four years at a big company, I couldn't see myself spending the rest of my career in that environment. I wanted to make an impact and I wanted to execute and create value rather than research and consult. So I did what most people do when they don't know what to do with their lives and I went back to school. And I think a lot of my peers were doing that at the same time as well. A lot of people started going into law school, and graduate school, so I applied to a bunch of MBAs. Luckily, I got into some good ones. My reasoning for applying to schools was not just applying what I already learned from SK and taking it to the next level, but also, I was thinking maybe there's some different angle where I can leverage my Third Culture Kid uniqueness to make a better impact. I got into Harvard Business School, and that's kind of when that door opened for me. You know, I think getting an MBA has a lot of pros and cons. The biggest cons are that it's very expensive in both money and time. However, I do recommend it to anyone that wants to make a career change.

Q: And then after that, you went on to found Coupang?

A: Yeah, I met my co-founder, who was my classmate at Harvard Business School (HBS). And so during my first year at HBS, it started off as casual discussions over coffee or beer and then it just naturally progressed to ‘Okay, do you want to start something together then?’ This was at the end of 2009, beginning of 2010. As most MBAs know, after the first year MBA most people get an internship for the summer and it’s usually one of those management consulting companies and then do the second year of MBA and then most likely be recruited by the place where you did your internship. But

instead of doing an internship, I decided to start Coupang during summer break of 2010. And after that summer, I made the decision not to go back to HBS. I gave the school a notice of absence, and they gave me five years to return and graduate. So after my 5 year stint at Coupang, I went back to HBS and graduated in 2016. That was something that my parents made me promise, because at the time, you know, Coupang was a company that no one knew about, it had no brand equity and one out of around 40 competing startups in the same industry. But I had such conviction about this company that I decided to go on this journey. And so I think it was one of those moments that I alluded to earlier that are life changing. And I stayed on for five years. And during those five years, every year we were growing by double, triple and I never thought I would start a company that did billions and billions of revenue, but we achieved it in 3 years. But also when you're on the outside looking in, it seems like everything is gravy but internally, everything was chaos (laughs)

Q: How do you explain the success of Coupang?

A: I think it was just really good timing and execution at the end of the day, and also obviously the ability to fundraise. I don't know if you remember but Coupang started off as a Groupon clone but there were many entrepreneurs thinking the same. So when you're in that kind of competitive environment, you really want to be the first one to claim the stake, right? So it was a lot about speed to market at the time. To scale faster than others, we really had to execute well. So I think that was one of the things that we did well, and everything else I think was luck and timing.

Q: And after Coupang, you went on to found another company?

A: Having founded Coupang just gave me this incredible access to the tech community. Not just in Korea, but also in the States and Silicon Valley. And having had this incredible network, and this experience, I kind of wanted to leverage that and also help the new generation of entrepreneurs to keep the virtuous cycle of innovation and entrepreneurism in Korea going. So that's what I'm working on at the moment.

Q: So what advice would you give our high schoolers who want to get into entrepreneurship or want to start their own business after school?

A: I would tell them that there's a lot of resources out there about entrepreneurship. I would say, traditionally, you may want to start working at a company first. Even if these days are changing, I still think there's value in getting experience at a big company. If you're a first time entrepreneur you better do something you are passionate about, really care about. Because this is not just a school project that you can just throw away after a while, where you get graded on, it's gonna really hurt (laughs), it's gonna be a very, very arduous journey. Also do something that you really think you can do well, not just passionate about. And I would say, do it! As I said, I think it takes a certain personality to do it, though. You really need to be tenacious, you have to be resilient. It's a roller coaster ride, the highs are the highest highs I've ever had, and the lows are the lowest lows. And it's so challenging, but it's the most rewarding.

Thanks a lot to Chris for taking the time to talk to us.

Chris Koh, 1999.

On the Bookshelf

Angela Seewald (Teacher-Librarian) just finished reading: The Beatryce Prophecy

by Kate DiCamillo Youth Adventure Fiction

In my line of work, I read a lot of children and young adult books. The Beatryce Prophecy has stuck with me, long after I finished it several weeks ago. It is a story about a girl, a monk, a boy, a king and a prophecy. But the character who stole my heart was the obnoxious goat, Answelica. Goats are notoriously badtempered; the goat I had as a tween growing up in Pakistan was no different. Answelica is no different. But her fierce love for Beatryce redeems her as she seeks to protect a girl who reads, but is in grave danger because she can.

If you’re looking for your next read, check out these recommendations from our Faculty and Staff.

Stephanie Cary (Grade 5 Homeroom

Edie Moon (Drama Director) is currently reading (among other things…): Surrender

by Bono Autobiography

The lead singer of U2 has written a book about his life experience growing up in Ireland and his journey as a musician by using one song for each chapter to center his thoughts around. He also has made a playlist of the songs so that you can listen to the song and then read his writing in relation to it. His writing is stream of consciousness, poetic and profound all at the same time.

is currently reading: Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen Historical Fiction

Teacher)

Jacob Jankowski is a young man with his whole life ahead of him until everything falls apart. He finds himself on a train with the Benzini Brothers Circus on an adventure he never could have dreamed of. Set in the United States in the 1930s amidst the Great Depression and Prohibition, this is a story full of love, hope and desperation.

Colm Flanagan (Head of School) is currently reading: Crime & Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky Psychological Novel

One of those classics that I should have got round to a long time ago. It’s a bit of a page turner actually and the character development is astonishing. Written in the mid 19th century, it feels very modern but it’s the central protagonist, Raskolnikov that is most gripping. Complex, contradictory, morally flawed and seemingly guilty of an horrendous crime, he somehow manages to hold one’s empathy. Every sentence feels like it’s imbued with deeper meaning. Definitely one for the ‘Book Club.’

Nancy Le Nezet (High School Principal) is currently reading: The Searcher by Tana French Crime Investigation

Tana French is one of my favourite authors and this is her latest novel. Set in Ireland, like most of her novels, it focuses on a teenager who enlists the help of a retired American detective in order to investigate the disappearance of their sibling. Great writing and wonderful characters.

Emmalee Johnson (IB Music & HS Orchestra) is reading:

Bad Vibes Only

by Nora McInerny Essay Collection

The author is brilliant and funny. She focuses a lot on sincerity and honesty in our everyday lives while telling stories that are either remarkably unique or totally relatable. I really have enjoyed her work on the podcast "Terrible, Thanks For Asking" and other books she has published.

Socrates claimed that the unexamined life is not worth living. Bad Vibes Only is for people who have taken that dictum a bit too far—the overthinkers, the analyzers, the recovering Girl Bosses, and the burned-out personal brand—reminding us that a life worth living is about more than just “good vibes.”

Jamie Bacigalupo (HS English Language and Literature) is currently reading: On Such a Full Sea by Chang-Rae Lee Dystopian Fiction

Fun fact: Lee is a Shinhan Distinguished Visiting Professor at Yonsei University. As I walked through our high school library, I saw this book on display, and I ended up picking it up to read when I saw it again at a friend's home. Historically, I would not describe myself as an avid reader of dystopian or science fiction, but recently, I have been branching out from memoirs and historical fiction. I am enjoying the world into which I have been plunged, a California reimagined as climate change has continued to shift the physical and thus social landscape of America.

Michael Lucchesi (PYP Coordinator) just finished re-reading: Patience by Daniel

Clowes

Graphic Novel

I have also recently reread Daniel Clowes's graphic novel Patience. It's a masterfully drawn and written exploration of time travel, determinism, heartbreak and grief. When his wife Patience is murdered, Jack falls into a deep pit of anger, grief, and guilt. Ten years later, he learns of a time machine that might allow him to fix things. From there, he plunges into a psychedelic journey through Patience’s past and the events that shaped her into the woman he knew and loved.

Lychelle Bruski (HS English Language and Literature) is currently reading

The Last Story of Mina Lee by Nancy Jooyoung Kim Fiction

Margot Lee's mother, Mina, isn't returning her calls. It's a mystery to twenty-six-year-old Margot, until she visits her childhood apartment in Koreatown, LA, and finds that her mother has suspiciously died. The discovery sends Margot digging through the past, unraveling the tenuous invisible strings that held together her single mother's life as a Korean War orphan and an undocumented immigrant, only to realize how little she truly knew about her mother.

Lately at SFS

There is so much happening at SFS on any given day that it would be impossible to capture everything in one magazine, so we’ve rounded up a few events that happened this semester at Seoul Foreign School.

University Visits are back in the High School

In the University Admissions Counseling offices of SFS High School, the return from COVID-19 restrictions has been evident! Universities are traveling again, and SFS is one of the first stops as they make their way through Seoul and then Korea and other East Asian countries. So far this fall, the University Admissions Counselors have seen about 30 college representatives in person, and as many more are to come in upcoming weeks and months. In addition, there are still virtual visits happening many evenings, and these take place through a coordinated effort with other KISCA schools. After so long without being able to speak to representatives, it has been refreshing to welcome these guests to our campus, who bring a wealth of knowledge and connections for our amazing students who are making decisions about their postsecondary paths. We are grateful in particular to Mrs. Tu Anh Gilmore, the University Admissions Counselor who has been the point person on all of the visit coordination this fall.

Birthday and Unbirthday Parties in Foundation

Katy Freeman British School Foundation Teacher

As part of our Exit Point for our unit 'This is Me', the children planned and organised a birthday party for everyone in our class. The idea was to celebrate Hasung and Vicky as it was their birthday that week but also we wanted to celebrate everyone in our class. Reflecting on our learning from the unit and about the important people, celebrations and events in our lives. The week began with the children making a list of all the things they needed for the party; jelly, decorations, invitations, music, games and sandwiches. We then set about preparing for the party by writing invitations to our family inviting them to join us, making Jelly and creating our own paper chains and birthday banners. Soon it was time for the party. Some mums and dads came to help us get ready and then the party started with more family arriving, dancing, pass the parcel game, yummy cake and jelly. It was so much fun to share our party with our family and friends.

Fobisia U15 Trip to Jeju

Sejik Lee British School Year 9 Student

If I had to pick out of the many things I loved about this trip it was no doubt the moments when our U15 team got to bond with each other. Like the scavenger hunt, the theme park, team dinners, and Phillip’s solo in the bus. I also liked our team spirit and how we cheered for each other almost to the point my eardrums took a toll. Also I nearly forgot to mention when both teams did the warmups together before the athletics games, which was pretty cool. Shoutout to Zoe for leading it. Overall I think this was a great experience for everyone and showed us the true meaning of winning - it wasn’t about getting that trophy the real treasure were the friends we made along the way.

Nicole Cook Director of HS Counseling & University Admissions

Summer camp trip to Jeju.

Summer Camp Trip to Jeju

Michelle Kim Director of SFS Academy

For the first time since summer camp was founded at SFS in 2010, we packed our bags and flew over to the beautiful island of South Korea, Jeju Island. Students from Grades 2 through 8 ventured throughout the island: cave to volcano, beaches to farms, and outdoor camping in tents to luxurious hotel rooms. Two SFS buses, which took 24 hours to drive and ship from Seoul, shuttled us around the island in comfort, as two SFS EMTs made sure of our health and safety throughout our trip. Forever will the students remember walking through the forest for an hour in complete darkness, only to depend on their sense of touch and hearing, but mostly on each other, to see the fireflies dance around in an undisturbed and well protected environment that can only be found in a small corner of the island. The trip ended with utter thankfulness for the older ones that cooked their own meals and slept outdoors in their single size tents, among the multi-legged insects that buzzed around in the never-ending humidity and heat of the island. For the little ones, it was their first time experiencing what fun is like without the constant worry of the pandemic, with farm animals and friends from school, at the beach and in the woods.

Korea Discover Days in Middle School

Justin Smith Middle School Principal

On October 6th and 7th our middle school students took part in Korea Discovery Days (KDD) trips, which give our students the opportunity to experience the natural beauty and culture of our host country. Our sixth graders explored two conservation projects on October 6th when they visited Oil Tank Culture Park and Haneul Park (Trash Mountain). On October 7th the sixth graders experienced Korean folk customs and culture at Suwon Folk Village. The 7th graders were immersed in the history of the Korean war during their visit to Imjingak Park on October 6th. On October 7th they enjoyed the beauty of Seoul Forest Park and were engaged in a team photo challenge with their advisory class. Our 8th graders took on the challenge of attempting to summit Bukansan mountain on October 6th, with two-thirds of our students making it all the way to the top! On October 7th they participated in a cultural scavenger hunt in the Insadong area.

Middle School Grade 8 students on Bukhansan mountain during their Korea Discover Days

Our KDD experiential activities were designed to be both educational and fun. Based on the conversations I had with students and teachers about their recent KDD trips, I would say they were quite successful.

Letter from Advancement

Dear SFS Community,

We are off to a great start to the new school year, with more in person activities and events happening on campus, feeling a lot closer to the pre-pandemic days. Thank you for your ongoing generosity and support in driving our mission forward. We have received 100% participation from the Board of Governors, and more than 83% participation from our faculty and staff, raising KRW 183,963,596 to the Annual Fund and KRW 239,092,396 in total giving as of November 21, 2022.

The Annual Fund is an important resource for the school which helps us to provide world-class education for our students. On pages 54 and 55, you can read more about how your gifts to the Annual Fund have impacted the learning journeys and experiences of our students.

Last June, at the High School Awards Ceremony, the second recipient of the Jack R. Moon Biology Scholarship was presented to Irene Cho ’22. Irene used this scholarship to conduct research to test the decomposition of different biodegradable cup options this past summer. Read more about Irene, other scholarship recipients, and the impact you made to inspire future leaders on pages 56, 57, and 58.

The support of our SFS donors and community serves as a constant source of inspiration and motivation. Our need for financial support to maintain the highest level of educational opportunities for our students continues. Please take this opportunity to join our growing donor community by making a gift of any size. Participation builds community; it is more important that you give than what you give. Thank you for your ongoing generosity and support of SFS and we look forward to your support in the 2022-2023 school year.

2022 is the 110 years since the founding of Seoul Foreign School. While we wished to celebrate this legacy last year, due to COVID-19 restrictions this was a challenge. We are hopeful that we could bring our community back together in the spring to celebrate this milestone together. Planning is underway, so please stay tuned for any upcoming event in the spring.

With much appreciation, Yoojin Um

Director of

What happens to my gift?

Every gift has a major impact on our community. Here are a few testimonials from our Faculty and Staff on how your gift enhanced the learning experiences of our students.

Early Years Robotics Equipment

Heather Breedlove Digital Learning Coach

Young students in the Elementary School are learning coding in a hands-on way with the help of Beebots. Beebots are robots designed specifically for young children to learn sequencing, estimation, problem-solving, and just having fun. They plan algorithms, debug and solve problems.

The grade 3 students are working with VEX materials to build simple machines for their Forces & Motion unit of inquiry. Each group worked in pairs to create a different simple machine- lever, pulley, wheel/axle, pendulum, inclined plane. VEX is also part of the after school Robotics SWEP and Competition Team programs.

Advancement

For more information on giving:

Consultants in Math and Literacy in the Elementary School

Michael Lucchesi ES PYP Coordinator

The power of mathematics for describing and analyzing the world around us is such that it has become a highly effective tool for solving problems. As a community of learners, we also recognized that students can appreciate the intrinsic fascination of mathematics and explore the world through its unique perceptions. In the same way that students describe themselves as “authors” or “artists”, our IB maths teaching should also provide students with the opportunity to see themselves as “mathematicians”, where they enjoy and are enthusiastic when exploring and learning about mathematics. In the IB Primary Years Programme (PYP), mathematics is also viewed as a vehicle to support inquiry, providing a global language through which we make sense of the world around us. It is intended that students become competent users of the language of mathematics, and can begin to use it as a way of thinking, as opposed to seeing it as a series of facts and equations to be memorized.

Ongoing staff training, and new resources have refocused our PYP staff around research informed practices and strategies that support learners. At its core, has been the exploration of new

resources, and manipulatives as well as low ceiling high threshold activities that ensure all learners can acquire mathematical understanding by constructing their own meaning through ever-increasing levels of abstraction, starting with exploring their own personal experiences, understandings and knowledge. As we move forward with innovating, and further strengthening our Mathematics programme in the PYP we are thankful for the support of the Annual Fund in helping us to set the direction for the future of Maths in the Elementary School.

John Black Theatre Manager

As our flagship performance facility, the Mainstage Theatre is a world-class performance environment for our students of all ages, as well as for our community attending events. Nearing 20-years old, the existing PA was in need of replacement. Our main goal for the new system was to deliver the same level of audio in all 701 seats, which the old system couldn't do. This was achieved by adding speakers in the stage facade, under the balcony, and by using the most up-to-date technology available so that audiences will continue to be inspired and moved by our students on stage for the next 20-years.

New Speaker and Amplifier System in the Lyso Centre for the Performing Arts

Jack R. Moon Biology Scholarship - Irene Cho ´23

Last Spring, the Jack R. Moon Biology Scholarship was awarded for the second time to Irene Cho, Grade 12. This annual scholarship, established by longtime faculty member Jack R. Moon and funded additionally by community donors, awards $1,000 (USD) to a Grade 11 student who has a passion for Biology and exhibits the mission and values of Seoul Foreign School. Recipients may use these funds to assist tuition, summer programs, or research opportunities. Here is an article on how Irene utilized her scholarship this past summer.

Hello!

My name is Irene Cho, the 2022 recipient of the Jack Moon Biology Scholarship. I was fortunate to be awarded this scholarship at the end of my junior year. With the scholarship fund, I completed a summer-long project that allowed me to push forward toward my goal. In this article, I will be answering a series of questions to allow you to gain insight into how I was able to utilize this scholarship.

How did you utilize the scholarship?

The goal when applying for this scholarship was to use the money to be able to test the decomposition of different biodegradable cup options. With the support of Mr. Abe Ryu, the high school cafeteria Crave’s Director, I was told that if I could find a suitable eco-friendly alternative to the plastic cups we use now, he would be willing to use them—even if it was more costly. So, my journey began. This summer, instead of diving headfirst into testing, I did a plethora of research. Because we were planning to compost the cups on our own campus, to lower our carbon footprint, I needed to check whether or not the cups would actually degrade-this was the goal for the scholarship.

I tested two types of cups: PLA and paper. Using a fermentation method called Bokashi composting (the name is misleading because it isn’t actually composting), I placed the cups, soil, and fruit scraps into a transparent container and poured in a solution of tomato juice-scented effective microorganisms (EM). These EM would conduct anaerobic respiration, due to the airtight seal, and ferment the food scraps and cups, making them more susceptible to breaking down when moved to the composting bin.

What did you find out?

Months into the project showed a clear difference between the cups in the decomposition process. While the PLA had moss growing all over it, a sign of decomposition, the growth on the paper cup was very small. In the end, I took this as a sign that PLA would be a more efficient choice for the eco-friendly alternative to plastic cups.

How did you come up with the project idea?

This attempt to find the right eco-friendly alternative is

actually not my first. Last year, in my junior year, I conducted a similar initiative as my CAS project with Arisha Fatma. Our main goal was to implement an eco-friendly alternative to the plastic cups at Crave. As it would turn out, many things went wrong. The cups we chose had unexpected faults and many people did not properly dispose of them although we laid out a bin. After experiencing this failure, I decided to reflect back on what I did wrong and try once again to reach the goal I had set. This was how I came up with the project for the scholarship. How beneficial was the scholarship?

This scholarship was the first step I took in a prolonged adventure. Thanks to this opportunity, I was able to find the right cups to implement as well as test the bokashi composting system’s efficiency. Because of this information I collected, I am able to move to the next step in the process: purchasing the bokashi bins, promoting proper recycling, and then implementing the cups at Crave. Without this scholarship, I never would have been able to proceed with this project. What’s next?

With the support of the high school sustainability committee, I will be continuing the year-long journey of implementing the cups. Follow @sfs_sustainability on Instagram to remain updated on our progress. Please keep a look out for our progress!

Langston K. Rogde Memorial Visual and Performing Arts Scholarship

- Andrei Cucu ´22

This scholarship has been sponsored by Langston (Former Assistant Head of School - Operations) and Linda (Former Faculty) Rogde to a graduating senior who has demonstrated outstanding talent and abilities in either Performing or Visual Arts. The recipient of the Langston K. Rogde Memorial Visual and Performing Arts Scholarship Award was Andrei Cucu ‘22.

Andrei’s accomplishments in the area of performing arts and academic music have been impressive during his high school career. He took IGCSE music in grade 9 with Mr. Ford, MYP Music in grade 10 with Mr. Yaniw and DP Music with Mr. Walker and Ms. Johnson. Andrei has a very keen mind for music theory and is a prolific composer who is not afraid to experiment with new ideas. His intellectual curiosity, passion for understanding music, and dislike for cliches will greatly benefit him as he goes on to study music.

As a performer, Andrei has been in the jazz band for the last three years. His virtuosic technique on the guitar and his deep knowledge of music theory made it easy for him to communicate his musical ideas. His improvisations inspired others, Andrei even taught himself to play the bass when the jazz band needed a bass player. He also played guitar in this year’s production of Something Rotten. Andrei is a humble musician never seeking the limelight, and always looking for new ways to grow.

International Businessperson of the Future Award - Jackson Wild ´22

The International Businessperson of the Future Award is given to a graduating senior who is pursuing a college degree leading to a career involved in the private international business sector. This scholarship was endowed anonymously in honor of Kevin and Ellen O’Donnell. Kevin O’Donell forged a career in international business and along the way, he brought the Peace Corps to Korea. Ellen O’Donnell spent her early years in China, the daughter of medical missionaries. She happily moved a family of eight children from Ohio to Korea, to support her husband’s dream. Throughout their lives, Kevin and Ellen have been positive role models for values and ethics. It is in their honor that the Seoul Foreign School International Businessperson of the Future Award is presented to the graduating student who best exemplifies a strong set of personal ethics and fairness in dealing with others, who shows a facility for international exchange and who visualizes a career supporting international understanding through private enterprise and business development. Last year’s recipient was Jackson Wild ’22.

Jackson was born in Canberra, Australia (Ngunnawal country)* and is attending the Australian National University to study a double degree in commerce and economics. After university, he wishes to work in the private business sector for an organization with global offices. He would like to pursue this goal by doing a major in management and a minor in international business taking the advantage of the work experience opportunities provided by the university to undertake internships in the private international business sector.

Jackson has lived internationally his entire life: in the USA, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Republic of Korea and Australia.

British School Year 5 and 6 Origami paper sculptures decorated on School staircase.

He will leverage the adaptability and cultural understanding gained by living abroad, academic qualifications, and his work experience to secure employment in his chosen field.

As part of his IB, he studied business management and economics and he investigated the financial stability of the Australian Chamber of Commerce in Korea, which has many for-profit private sector businesses as members.

*Canberra is in Ngunnawal country. The Ngunnawal are the Indigenous people of this region and its first inhabitants.

Photo by Lauren Song, G12.

Photo by Lauren Song, G12.

American Journal of Health Promotion Award - Jordan Kim ´23

The American Journal of Health Promotion Award sponsored annually by Michael O’Donnell ‘70 is given to an SFS junior who best exemplifies optimal health in physical, intellectual, social, emotional and spiritual dimensions. Jordan Kim was the recipient in 2022.

2022 - 2023

Donors

As of November 21, 2022

Faculty and Staff (F/S), Alumni (A) (USD 1 = KRW 1,298.60)

The Heritage Club $ 100,000 + KRW 100,000,000 +

1912 Society $ 50,000 - 99,999 KRW 50,000,000 - 99,999,999

The Millennium Club $ 10,000 - 49,999 KRW 10,000,000 - 49,999,999

Red and Black Club $ 5,000 - 9,999 KRW 5,000,000 - 9,999,999

The Crusader Club $ 2,500 - 4,999 KRW 2,500,000 - 4,999,999

The Crest Club $ 1,000 - 2,499 KRW 1,000,000 - 2,499,999

Centennial Club $ 100 - 999 KRW 100,000 - 999,999

The Legacy Club Under $ 99 Under KRW 99,999

Annual Fund

Jordan possesses all of the attributes that meet the criteria for this award. In High School Volleyball, Jordan has shown he is a principled student athlete. He gives his all in every practice and game situation. He is positive and encouraging - with some natural leadership qualities. Aside from his stellar class grades, Jordan has demonstrated intellect in sports too. His volleyball coach cites how they discussed strategy and modifying drills in order to make them accessible and challenging for the wide variety of skills that required development in the team. Jordan is also a calming presence when one is needed amongst the group. He can be vocal and enthusiastic - when it is appropriate - but he knows the difference between fun and serious situations and can move quickly between the two to be a positive role model for others. Emotionally, exhibits control and judgment. He handles himself admirably under stressful situations - both on the court and off. Jordan also possesses a strong spiritual dimension. He has a leadership role at Vida Nueva. When he speaks to the group he does so meaningfully about his faith.

THE MILLENNIUM CLUB

Edward Choi ’38 Family Joseph Choi ’27 Ian Chung ’36

Parents of Benjamin Tae-young Yoon ’32

RED AND BLACK CLUB

Tom and Anita Alexander (F/S) Danam Engineering Colm and Sinead Flanagan (F/S) Celine Jin (F/S)

Kevin Jo Sungah (Hannah) Lim ’27 (A) Jennifer Oh and Yon Sog Choi Joelle ’29 and Cooper ’34 Oh Daniel Park ’34, Sophia Park ’37, Jae Hong Park and Catherina Yoon (F/S)

Lauren ’23 and Aidan ’26 Song

THE

CRUSADER CLUB

Ian Ka Ioi Chu ’32

Ryan, Sophie, Will ’32, Flo ’34 and Alfie ’37 Hammerberg (F/S) Maryclaire Seo Yeon Kelly ’35 Family of Sebi Kim ’27

THE CREST CLUB

Anonymous (2)

Seungyoon Baik ’31

Isaiah ’38, Abe ’35, Tim and Cyrielle Bazin (F/S)

Sean, Stephanie, Spencer ’37 and Sullivan ’39 Cary (F/S)

Youngjoong Chang, Hyolin Kim and Ian Chang ’25

Kwanghae (Aaron) Choi ’35

Minsoo Choi and June Kang (A)

Moses, Dahee, Adeline Lia Choi ’34

SooJin Cho (F/S)

Ella ’24 and Gwyneth ’25 Chun

Steven Chung ’28

Sei Eun (Claire) Hong ’28

Tchiamo ’30, So Young and Simon Hurst

Michael and Danielle Jarvis Lucchesi (F/S)

Jerome and Silvia Kim

GaHyun Kim ’33

Tabitha ’17, Luke ’21 and Jordan ’23 Kim

Youan Kim ’35

Nancy Le Nezet and Adam Bernard (F/S)

Chloe Lee ’31 and Yoojin Um (F/S)

Hyunjoo Grace Lee ’24

Rebeca Murray (F/S)

James No and Dr. Haegeun Song

Hyungji Park ’85, Dongkyun Nicholas ’22 and Seoyun Natalie ’24 Kim (A)

Susan Park and Minhoo Bae (F/S)

The Prest Family (F/S) (A)

Paul ’04 and Hannah Rader (F/S)

Benjamin Sim ’27, Michelle Kim ’00 and Sung Jin Sim (F/S) (A)

Eulho Suh and KyungEn Kim ’90 (A)

The Walker Family (F/S)

Jessica ’15, Michael ’18 and Stephanie ’25 Woo (F/S)

CENTENNIAL CLUB

Anonymous (9)

Ethan Albano ’24 (F/S)

Arnaud and Lisa Boulestreau (F/S)

Melissa Brabon (F/S)

The Breedlove Family (F/S)

Hana Choi (F/S)

Makayla Choi (F/S)

Andrew Chung ’97, Soo Youn Nam, Farrah Chung ’29 and Micah Chung (A)

The Cuello-Federighi Family

Eric and Jillian De Haan (F/S)

Kang Hoe Do (F/S)

Mathilde ’21, Hugo ’26, Marieke and Jeff Doherty

Yves Donval (F/S)

The Elliott Family (F/S)

The Feitosa Family (F/S) Noah Gerding ’96 (A)

The Gilmore Family (F/S)

Ling Guo (F/S)

Jee Hye Ha (F/S)

Caroline Hahn (F/S)

The Han/Chi Family

Yuna Han ’22 (F/S)

Carl Hanson

Haruka Hattori (F/S)

Holly Hitchcock and Colin Spitler (F/S)

The Holbrook Family (F/S)

Elizabeth ’27 and Madeline ’30 Hwang

Yuwon Jeong (F/S)

Sungwoo Jo ’28

Jamie ’09 and Jonathan ’11 Jun (F/S)

Grace Jung (F/S)

Seung Min Kang (F/S)

Sophia Kang (F/S)

Anna Kim (F/S)

Crystal Kim (F/S)

Dave H. Kim

Dong-Joon (Andrew) An ’24 and MinSung Kim (F/S)

Eileen Kim ’31 and Juhie Suh ’92 (F/S) (A)

Jean Kim (F/S)

Jinny Kim (F/S)

Kyu Heon Kim (F/S)

Marie Kim (F/S)

Nikki Kim (F/S)

Paul Kim (F/S)

Ryan Kim ’28

Dongwook Koh (F/S)

Soora Koh (F/S)

Michael Kosh (F/S)

Nami Kwon (F/S)

Jae-Eun Lah (F/S)

Andy and Joanna Lee (F/S)

Helen Lee (F/S)

Hugh Heung Sang Lee (F/S)

Jina Lee (F/S)

Junhee Lee ’32

Moon Jin Lee (F/S)

Seulgee Lee (F/S)

Younghi Lee

Arabella Lespine (F/S)

Zhiyong (Rian) Liu ’36

Yanghee Lim (F/S)

Zuzana Matusova (F/S)

Elizabeth McGarroch-Slack (F/S)

Heather Min (F/S)

Moon Ki Min (F/S)

The Munce Family (F/S)

Elish Pangiraj and Prema Thomas (F/S)

Anna Park (F/S) (A)

Dean (Chang) Park ’89, Jisoo Shim, Stephanie Park’ 22 and Sylvia Park ’24 (A)

Nicholas Park ’93, Eunie Lee ’00 and Yena Park ’26 (A)

Brigitte Parr (F/S)

David and Julia Robinson (F/S)

Soomin Seo and Kangwon Lee

The Shim Family

Angela, Shin, Emery ’29 and Calvin ’31 Son (F/S)

Hyesoon Shin (F/S)

Shannon and Justin Smith (F/S)

The Swaine Family

The Teather Family (Jade ’18 and Ella ’21) (F/S)

Kelly Yuan Tian (F/S)

Fred Underwood ’72 (A)

Peter ’73 and Diana Underwood (A)

Matt, Dee Dee, Lily ’24 and Olivia ’26

Wasmund

Hye Sun Woo (F/S)

Mia and Joshua Yaniw (F/S)

Jami Yeo (F/S)

Jeonghee Yoon (F/S)

Joanna Yoo (F/S)

THE LEGACY CLUB

Anonymous (4)

Heather Adkins (F/S)

Younjin Ahn (F/S)

Young Bo Bae (F/S)

Lychelle Bruski (F/S)

AhYoung Chi and David Han (F/S)

Ja Yong Choi (F/S)

Hannah Chung (F/S)

Cristina Cockrum (F/S)

Nicole Cook (F/S)

Seong Hoon Hong (F/S)

Chris Horan and Julie Ly (F/S)

Wootak Jeun (F/S)

Jimenez and Mazul (F/S)

Emmalee Johnson (F/S)

Jin Hyuck Joo (F/S)

Jiyoung Jung (F/S)

Jung Kyo Jung (F/S)

Dongsuk Kang (F/S)

Sang Oh Kang (F/S)

Yoon Kang (F/S)

Borah Kim(F/S)

Catherine Kim (F/S)

Chul Hoi Kim (F/S)

Doyeon (Daisy) Kim (F/S)

Sung Duck Kim (F/S)

Esther (Ji Young) Kim (F/S)

Esther H. Kim (F/S)

Hyung Gil Kim(F/S)

Jiyeon Kim (F/S)

Nampil Kim(F/S)

Sook Young Kim (F/S)

Eunha Ko (F/S)

Sarah Ko (F/S)

Hong Seo Koo (F/S)

Ikhwan Kwon (F/S)

Byung Ju Lee (F/S)

Christine Lee (F/S)

Eun Ji Lee (F/S)

Eun Mi Jennifer Lee (F/S)

Hyesoo Lee (F/S)

Jae Hun Lee (F/S)

Jinju Lee (F/S)

Jiwon Lee (F/S)

Jung Yong Lee (F/S)

Seoung Hwa Lee (F/S)

Seungwoo Lee (F/S)

Sua Lee (F/S)

Catherine Lorenz (F/S)

Vasile Lozneanu (F/S)

Kalina ’30 and Aniela ’31 Martin (F/S)

Meagan Mathews (F/S)

Amy Midgley (F/S)

Grace Miller (F/S)

Shawn Monette (F/S)

Dong Hoon Moon (F/S)

Young Sik Moon (F/S)

Seung Min Nam (F/S)

Indira Pappaterra (F/S)

Justin Park (F/S)

Andrea Razon (F/S)

Woochul Seol (F/S)

Jany Shim (F/S)

Dong Jin Shin (F/S)

Chris Sykes (F/S)

Karen Terry (F/S)

Donna Wang (F/S)

Emma Woo (F/S)

Chang Kun Yang (F/S)

Jean Yoo (F/S)

Ji Yae Yoon (F/S)

Xin Zhao (F/S)

Anna Zygner(F/S)

Building

for the Future Fund

RED AND BLACK CLUB

Sungah (Hannah) Lim ’27 (A)

THE CREST CLUB

Nate and Julie Doelling (F/S) Dae Woon Kim (F/S)

CENTENNIAL CLUB

Anonymous (1)

Youngwoo Cho (F/S)

The Creech Family (F/S) Scott and Lilly Day (F/S) Choongpyo Hong (F/S)

Matt, Sophia, Caden ’35 and Kaya ’36 Johnson (F/S)

Chris Een-Soo Kim (F/S) Hannah Kim (F/S)

Yerin Amy Kim ’32, Yhu-Bin Lee and Seong Dong Kim (F/S)

Marcus Li ’26 and Leo Malik ’31 (F/S) Mariana Miroiu (F/S)

Nathan ’24 and Ana ’27 Park (F/S) Juyeon You (F/S)

THE LEGACY CLUB Anonymous (1) Won Joo Hwang (F/S)

Pitch In: Playground

THE MILLENNIUM CLUB

Anonymous (1)

The Striffler Family (F/S)

RED AND BLACK CLUB Latham-DiStasio Family

Jack R. Moon Biology Scholarship

THE CREST CLUB

Jennie Rader Purvis ’83 (F/S) (A)

CENTENNIAL CLUB

Anonymous (2)

John ’04 and Stephanie ’05 Black (F/S) (A)

The Gilmore Family (F/S)

Jack and Edie ’77 Moon (F/S) (A) The Yap Family (F/S)

THE LEGACY CLUB

Anonymous (2) Jong Chul Choi (F/S)

Endowment

CENTENNIAL CLUB

Anonymous (1) Haejin Koh (F/S)

Gifts in Kind

Kroad

RED AND BLACK CLUB

Younghan, Grace and Isaac ’34 Hahm (F/S)

CENTENNIAL CLUB

Julie Lee (F/S)

GAMES!

Maze Mrs.Moon

Help! Ms. Moon is lost and the show is about to start. Can you help her find her way to the Lyso Center on time?

Math Puzzle

Rules:

1. There are four house animals - Namsan Dragon, Bukhansan Eagle, Yonsei Tiger, and Han Viper.

2. Each house animal represents a number.

3. Find out what number each house animal represents and solve the last equation for the answer.

Basic rules of 6x6 Sudoku

The rules of 6x6 Sudoku puzzles are the same as with traditional Sudoku grids, with only the number of digits changing. Compared to the 4x4 Sudoku for Kids puzzles, the concept of blocks is introduced at this stage.

Rules:

1. The numbers 1 to 6 must occur only once in each column.

2. The numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 must occur only once in each row.

3. The numbers 1 to 6 must occur only once in each block of 2x3.

4. The clues allocated at the beginning of the puzzle cannot be changed or deleted.

5. The grid must be filled using only logic. No guessing!

+ + = 26 - = + = 2 + = + 9 - = ? 5 3 5 4 5 4 4 5 3 6 1

Sudoku

Mr Prest’s Riddle Corner Answers: A1: Your age. A2: Lunch and dinner. A3: A clock. A4: The letter “R.”

Foreign School

39 Yeonhui-ro 22-gil Yeonhui-dong, Seodaemun-gu Seoul, South Korea 03723 www.seoulforeign.org

For the digital version of this issue, scan the QR code or visit https://sfscom.page.link/banner2022fall

British School Foundation students collaborating in PE. Seoul